Vectorworks Getting Sluggish

[Stephanie Poole]

Is anyone else having an issue where Vectorworks is getting sluggish over time? I have Vectorworks 2021 and Vectorworks 2022, but primarily am using v2021 until I clear old projects that started in v2021. It seems that with every macOS update, Vectorworks is running slower and slower. I have a very capable machine and am not doing anything different with my workflow. What is happening, and what can I do to speed Vectorworks back up?

[Jeremy Best]

Hi Stephi, 

 

This is not a comprehensive list but here some things that can cause Vectorworks (or the computer in general) to perform slower than it used to: 

• Corrupted .plist files or other components in your operating system folders.
  • This happens sometimes when updating the operating system. Slowdowns after updating have happened to me but as I recall this corrected itself. This is also one example why superusers perform fresh ('clean') installations of their operating system instead of just upgrading. 
• Hard drive not having enough free space. The traditional advice was to always have at least 10% free. 
• Memory Pressure (found in the Memory tab of the Activity Monitor app) being too high. 
  • Slowdowns are usually only apparent on computers that have a HDD (hard disk drive) and not an SSD (solid state drive). 
• Vectorworks Workspace or Settings files becoming corrupt. Slowdowns are more likely due to Workspace files than Settings files though. 
  • Solution: Resetting Vectorworks Preferences. - Make sure to back up your User Folder as part of this process. 
• If slowdowns are only apparent with certain files then I would expect performance is a function of how much geometry is present in the file, perhaps PDFs or images/textures, or corrupt objects. 

It depends under what circumstances Vectorworks is running slower. More information would be necessary but the fastest way to diagnose it is to have someone schooled in this stuff to remote in and observe performance and circumstances as they occur. 

[Art V]

OS updates, as well as software updates, can cause quite a bit of clutter/overhead on a system so once in a while doing a clean install/reinstall will improve performance, e.g. Once every 12-18 months depening on how many updates have been done.

 

Another thing to look at is the number of undo's that VW is keeping, the higher the number the greater the chance that it will bog down Vectorworks if you use the undo a lot. I knew someone who used undo a lot instead of delete and combined with a high level of undo steps to keep it bogged down his system to the point of crashing the CAD software, once he used delete instead of undo where appropriate he had less crashes and less slowdowns. This may not apply to your but just in case it might this is something you could check on as well and reduce the number of undo levels to see if it makes a difference.

[gvictoria1]

YES - my VWX is going at a snail's pace today - and keeps crashing - 3D file - no textures - no lights - 236 MB - is this large? - it's pretty awful - have restarted 5 times today 

[Jeremy Best]

Hi @gvictoria1, run through all the possibilities in my previous comment then report your findings here.

 

If the advice you get here is not effective or fast enough for your needs, contact Tech Support for your region. If you're in the US, UK, Australia or Canada, then that's Vectorworks Inc. If elsewhere contact your local distributor.